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The Du Lac Chronicles by Mary Anne Yarde

BLOG TOUR

August 22nd ~ September 4th

If all you had left was your heart, would you give it to the enemy?

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Guest Post ~ A.G. Billig “the love fairy" @AGBillig

It is my very great pleasure to welcome author, 

 A.G.Billig

  onto the blog today.

Summer love story

            I might have lost the love of my life the summer after my high-school sophomore year. I was walking on the beach with a friend. My mother had preferred the shadow on the alley. The emerald, Baywatch-style bathing suit a French lady had bought me (to allow as much skin in the sun as possible) made a nice contrast to my brown skin. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he appeared by my side. A tall, tanned, muscled young guy. Perhaps it was the sea, but he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. I am dreaming, I told myself. To understand my reaction, you must know two things. First of all, that in that part of Eastern Europe where I was born, women are beautiful but men are far from having the looks of a Brad Pitt. Secondly, I had always been the ugly duck. Almost invisible to the boys in my high-school.

"You are gorgeous," he said with a smile that melted my heart and then introduced himself. Alex or something, I'm not sure. Alex, a professional athlete, a member of the national swimming team. “I would like to take you out tonight. Have a lemonade, eat some ice-cream," he added.

"Well, hum, I don't know," I mumbled while my friend was giving me an encouraging look.  Here he was, the guy of my dreams, not only good-looking but also well behaved and kind, and I hesitated.

"Is there a problem? Perhaps you already have a boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

"I'm not sure I can. I've got something planned with my mother."

The words sounded stupid, the sound of my voice, unfamiliar. As I picked up pace, my eyes became moist."

"Let me talk to her. I promise to get you back whenever she wants. Give her my passport as a token until our return."

"I doubt she would allow me to go out with a stranger."

These were my last words to the handsome swimmer. He tried to keep up pace with me for a while then stopped. I didn't look back. Not once.

Fast-forward a couple of years later. Change of scenery. I am a journalist accredited to The Golden Stag Music Festival in Dracula's country, attending the Simple Minds press conference. They are still one of my favorite bands. Songs like "She's A River" or "Don't You Forget (About Me)” are part of my writing soundtrack. I remember raising my hand, putting the questions I had prepared, and asking Jim Kerr to take a picture together when the press conference ended. He was wearing a black T-shirt, dark suit pants, and smelled nice. He was shorter than he appeared in the videos but still charming. Normally, the tour promoter takes care of a band. They make sure the guests are properly taken care of. I don't know what the tour promoter's people were doing that day, but, to my surprise, after we took the picture, the artist asked me if I had a car. Of course I had. He wanted to get to his hotel, located in a mountain resort some fifteen miles away. The rest of the band wanted to stay downtown but he needed some time for himself.

"Could you give me a ride?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Imagine Jim Kerr, that Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, in my not-so-fancy car. Imagine me, a twenty-something anonymous girl, taking this world-renowned star to his hotel. I still can't believe I said no. I found some pathetic excuse - old habits die hard, and walked away. The next evening, I was right in front of the stage. Jim Kerr didn't hold a grudge. I swear that, at some point during the show, he sang just for me. 

Sometimes, even though we are not aware of our beauty, others can see it. They pierce through our veil of self-doubt, limiting beliefs, self-criticism, and insecurities. They love us despite our obvious lack of self-love. They offer us the gift of acceptance; they put a mirror in front of us, which we push away out of fear. The fear of not being good enough, of abandonment or rejection. The fear of what other people would say or think. Once we face these fears, we understand they are not real. We get to know us for who we really are, strengths and weaknesses. We embrace our being, entirely. We return to self-love - a state of grace that brings miracles in all aspects of our life.

Have I known this back then, would my life be different today? Did I miss out on being the mother of a blue-eyed kid or having my name on famous musician's list of private guests? I don't know. But I know I missed some memorable life experiences. At least, I learned from my past. I have made a decision. And I challenge you: let's make this summer memorable. Let's get rid of our fears, ditch our masks. Let's open ourselves to life, love, and happiness. Please, say yes. 

About the author

A.G.Billig is a love fairy, a fiction and non-fiction author, certified trainer and radio host. She has a master in public. As a former TV producer and host and editor-in-chief of glossy magazines, she knows how mass media operate. For the past seven years, A.G. Billig has been a spiritual seeker practitioner. Traveling became a way of self-knowledge and enlightenment. Her spiritual trip to Abadiania, Brazil in 2010 was an eye-opener about her life purpose. It was then that she realized she had to return to her childhood dream: becoming a writer. "I Choose Love!", her latest book and an Amazon Bestseller, is the perfect summer read providing practical advice on how to attract more love in our life.

Sports, dancing, being outdoors, reading, taking pictures, listening to the music rank high on her leisure activities list. Yoga and meditation are an important part of her daily routine.

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Author Interview ~ Marcia Weber Martins #booksgs

Let’s give a warm welcome to Romance author,

 Marcia Weber Martins

 

Love, betrayal. After a terrifying experience, Mary Walker is trying to get her life back. She has her family and her brother Mark to support her. Mary has a special bond with Mark who has a tendency to over protect her, especially after what happened to her.

Mary doesn’t believe in romance anymore and has no intention to fall in love again. Once it was enough. So she decides to concentrate on her studies and carrier.

But the handsome Dr. Dominick Cazelli, her brother’s best friend and well known as a “no-commitment man”, crossed her way.

Things got out of her control and she falls in love with him. She wants him but fear burns inside her and tells her not to stay with him.

How long would she resist the charming Dominick Cazelli?

***

MY: Welcome to the blog. Could you tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?

MWM: Hi Mary Anne,  thanks for having me. I was born in Petropolis, Brazil in 1964. I graduated in physiotherapy by    Catholic University of Petropolis. In 1983 participated in the Anthology "Our   Poets II" with the poem "If I could" and in 1986 in the anthology "Brazilian Poets" with the poem “On any given day.”In 2005 I moved to Germany and wrote my first novel, "Perfect Match".

MY: What made you want to become a writer?

MWM: I used to write poems and short stories when I was a teenager, but I never thought about being a writer until I moved to Germany, eleven years ago. I could not work as a physiotherapist so I have to reinvent myself. I started writing “Perfect Match”. It took me years to write and published it. It was a learning by doing process.

     

MY:  Are you working on another book?

MWM: Yes, I’m working on my second book. I hope to have it ready until the end of the year.

MY: What advice would you give to an inspiring author?

MWM: No matter how difficult it may be, never give up. Keep writing. Keep     trying. I never  thought I would  make it , but I did it.

MY: Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you always listen to music - if so what music inspires you?

MWM: I don’t need really peace and quiet to write, but I can’t concentrate with music. It has the power to irritate me.

MY: What is your latest book about?

MWM: “Perfect Match” is a romance but also is an example of family bonds. Mary Walker loves being with her friends and having her family around, specially his brother Mark.  Fall in love isn’t on her priority list, but she met the romantic and somehow mysterious Robert Mackenzie and she falls in love for him.  She learns in a hard way, that he is not the romantic and lovely men she  fell for, but a jealous and control freak boyfriend and they have a nasty break up. To make her life more difficult she was kidnapped. It is a terrifying and traumatic experience and she has a hard time to overcome it and has her life back.

She concentrates on her studies and career and as for romance, Mary doesn’t believe it anymore. For her there isn’t “happy ever after”. She promises herself never fall in love again, once was enough and she had paid dearly for this.

Things get out of her control when the handsome and irresistible Dr. Dominick Cazelli crossed her way. During a storm, forced to spend a night in a cabin up the mountains, he kisses her. She knows it is wrong to fall for him, Dominick is his brother best friend and well known as never been big on commitments. She keeps her distance from him and tries to put him out her mind, but Dominick is used to have whatever he wants, and he wants her. Would Mary resist the charming Dominick Cazelli?

MY: Authors are often portrayed as being cat owners who drinks a lot of coffee. Is this true for you??

MWM: Really, I didn’t know that. I don’t have a cat or a dog, but I drink coffee, not much.

MY: What does your ‘perfect’ day look like?

MWM: Not having to wake up with the alarm clock ringing in my ears and I can stay in bed reading and my husband brings me breakfast.

MY: If you could meet anyone from the past, who would it be and why?

MWM: I would like to meet Agatha Christie. I think I have read all her books and I love it. I would like to know where she got inspiration for her stories, her characters.

Where can I purchase this fabulous book?

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the author

Marcia Weber Martins was born in Petropolis, Brazil in 1964. She graduated in physiotherapy by the Catholic University of Petropolis. In 1983 participated in the anthology "Our Poets" with the poem "If I could" and in 1986 in the anthology "Brazilian Poets" with the poem, "On a given day". In 2005 she moved to Germany and wrote her first novel, "Perfect Match."

 

Books Go Social ~ Recommended Read of the Week! #booksgs

Books Go Social

Recommended Read of the Week!

 

 

 Soon after Estelle Knight, a 15yr old TV star, finally meets and loses her virginity to her childhood celebrity crush, ultra-handsome, smooth talking Colvin Meters, she realizes that everything that glitters is only broken glass.

Colvin is one of the rare good memories from her childhood and she's desperate to hold on to him no matter what. With her estranged abusive sister still missing and no mother or father to help her navigate super stardom or the birds and the bees, her personal assistant, Gina, is the only voice of reason in her ear.

As her past and present hopes and dreams collide, she constantly turns to alcohol to numb the pain and in the midst of everything spiraling out of control, she's forced to smile for the cameras to avoid any more bad press that could completely end her budding career.

Although her industry friends, Kiko and James are there to support any way they can, ultimately Estelle must realize she has to make important decisions all by herself.

 

 

Where can I purchase this book? 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

BooksGoSocial.com

 

Author Interview ~ Eric McFarlane #booksgs @Eric_McF

Let's give  a warm welcome to author, Eric McFarlane, onto the blog to tell us about his latest book.

 

All that lab technician Daniel Dreghorn wants is a better job, more money, a new flat – oh, and perhaps to meet a few more girls. It’s not much to ask of life, is it? All his dreams are answered with one visit to a faulty cash machine, but is it too good to be true? Yes, Daniel, it is…

Daniel’s life goes from bad to mad as a series of deaths are attributed to him and some very shady characters start to believe he is more than he seems. As Daniel’s colleagues at the university become suspicious of his actions, madcap Professor Farquharson sees him as a way of achieving a long-held desire… Can Daniel avoid being drawn into his boss’s crazy schemes? Can he avoid the attentions of a bent copper? Are Dr Bernini’s doughnuts all they seem to be?

A Clear Solution is a hilarious look at what happens when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time – complete with homicidal bank managers.

***

Author Interview

MY: Welcome to the blog ! Could you tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?

EM: My career was as a chemist with a multi-national pharmaceutical company. It was only when I was pushed from that that I took up writing seriously. Perhaps not many people know that I now make my living selling stamps to collectors over the internet. I’ve yet to work out a way of turning that into a fast-paced crime thriller but perhaps someday.

MY:  What made you want to become a writer?

EM: I guess I’ve always wanted to be a writer and I’ve always written whether childhood scribbles or teenage meanderings (not for publication!) I recently came across a notebook from my teen years with some comic writing that actually made me laugh – in a good way. It was all put aside for the minor matter of university, job, marriage and family but the urge to write never disappeared and I still jotted thoughts down in notebooks. Eventually I took it up more seriously when redundancy struck and I started on short stories and then novels.

MY: Are you working on another book?

EM: I’m working on too many as always. The sequel to A Clear Solution is already written (The Allotment Society) as is a thriller and an SF thriller and I continue to tinker with these rather than leaving them alone. A new work nearing completion is a first person comic crime novel with a female protagonist who stumbles into a murder mystery plot. My writing group want to call it The Cone of Doom but I’m not convinced.

MY: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

EM: Don’t procrastinate. JUST DO IT. Sorry for shouting but sometimes it helps.

MY: Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you always listen to music - if so what music inspires you?

EM: Peace and quiet as much as is possible. I love all sorts of music and also play an instrument but music in the background I find unbearably distracting probably because I feel a need to listen to it and disengage my mind from the writing.

MY: Do your characters ever hijack your story? If so, what do you do about it?

EM: I must admit to doubts about ‘characters hijacking story’. After all there is only the author; there really aren’t little people running around inside your head telling you what to do. At least I hope not. I wonder if it just differentiates between the planners and the pantsers. A pantser (I must admit I’m one) expects that their characters will do stuff and ‘tell’ them which way the stories going while a planner has their plan and deviating from that plan can be seen as the characters taking over but really it’s the author developing ideas and doing a bit of pantsing (sorry) on the side.

MY: If you could spend time as a character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do during that day?

EM: It would have to be as my favourite character Professor Quentin Farquharson, ‘an elderly academic with the morals of a stoat on steroids’. Totally amoral, living for the moment with no conscience whatsoever. What would I do? Hmm, I couldn’t possibly say.

MY: Are there any authors that you particularly admire? And if so, why?

EM: I’ve blogged about my love for the writing of American crime author Thomas H Cooke. A writer of superb elegant prose. Try Instruments of Night, one of his early novels, spare and chilling and an object lesson in the use of multiple flashbacks or the more recent, The Fate of Katherine Carr, enigmatic and mysterious from the first line, They strike at heat, she said… Give him a try.

MY: Is there a book that you wish you had written?

EM: I know this question is aimed at existing books but for years I’ve wanted to write a novel titled – A Cloudy Damp Affair – subtitle – a story of love and lust at the Met Office. If anyone wants to pinch that go right ahead, I won’t mind. Actually I will, I’ll hate you if you get it published.

MY:  Using one word. Describe yourself.

EM: Perverse

Book Extract

The evening was dim and dismal, which summed up Daniel’s feelings as he trudged home after another run-in with Peabrose. The flash-point this time had been his lack of a tie. He had tried to argue that a tie in a laboratory was a safety hazard. It dipped into things and got caught in things and went on fire and probably contravened Health and Safety legislation and the European Directive on Human Rights, but he might as well have farted in a hurricane for all the effect his arguments had.

He needed money. He paused outside the bank and extracted the new shiny gold card from his wallet. He kissed it, inserted it into the cash machine and typed in his PIN. He made his selection from the menu and typed in £40.

‘Please Wait …’

The machine whirred and clicked.

‘Insufficient information – unable to complete transaction – staff at your branch will assist’.

But before he could swear, the message cleared and was replaced with ‘Please remove card’, followed by a meaningless collection of letters and symbols. Snatching the card from the slot, he pushed his vision of a cap-in-hand visit to the bank in the morning, to retrieve a semi-digested piece of plastic, to one side.

He had turned to leave, when the machine clicked and whirred once more, then spat out a bunch of notes. Thank God, it had worked after all. He grabbed the money. But when he examined the notes in his hand, thanks turned to doubt. Crisp £20 notes, £200 in all, crackled between his fingers. But there was no time to think about the implications of this, as the machine whirred again and disgorged another wad of notes. He looked on blankly as his hand stretched out and took the money. Again the machine whirred, again a wad of notes. He turned guiltily, as if he had been caught stealing sweets from a toddler, but he could see no one on the dark street in either direction. Another wad of notes followed, and another. By now his left hand was full. He stuffed the bundle in his pocket and took the next. It seemed like an eternity as he stood there sweating, heart racing, stuffing bundles of notes into every pocket, but no more than five minutes could have passed before the ‘Machine empty’ notice flashed up and a protective cover descended.

He stood for a few moments, mouth open, like a fish gasping for water. Every pocket bulged with paper. A few notes blew across the street in the breeze. A couple appeared from around the corner, the man with his arm round the girl’s neck. Their giggling and laughing stopped as they approached. The girl looked curiously at him as they passed, and as Daniel turned in the direction off his flat, a renewed burst of laughter followed behind him.

Back at the flat, he emptied his pockets onto the table. The notes lay in a crumpled heap. He would have to see the branch manager tomorrow. Perhaps there was an emergency number he could ring. A ‘You’ve given me too much money’ number. No, he would wait for the morning. But perhaps alarm bells were already ringing. Perhaps, somewhere, a computer was announcing to the world, ‘Excuse me, chaps, but I’ve been a little bit robbed here, you know’. The police might be racing round at this moment, lights flashing and sirens blaring. And wasn’t there always a camera by these machines? He would be on film stuffing notes into his pocket.

Keep calm. He sat down and rubbed at his eyes. It was a mistake. He was innocent. The money would be returned. But he would have to count it. There might be some dispute about the amount. They might accuse him of not returning it all.

Half an hour later he sat down to think. Two thousand £20 notes – forty thousand pounds; it was incredible. A computer hiccup had given him a big headache. It was late and he couldn't think clearly. He would phone the branch in the morning. With that thought, he swept the money into a plastic bag and put it under his bed.

He didn't sleep well that night; disturbed by weird violent dreams interspersed by calm idyllic moments. He dreamt about work and Peabrose and holidays and freedom and a dark medieval pit prison full of writhing naked bodies and he dreamt of Susan Bradshaw.

 

Where can I purchase this fabulous book?

Amazon 

About the author

Eric McFarlane spent his formative years in Glasgow before de-camping to the wilds of West Lothian via a short spell in Edinburgh. He trained in alchemy and spent most of his working life casting spells in pharmaceutical companies. But writing fiction was his first love and he has done so since facebook was what happened when the latest Stephen King appeared. He has written innumerable short stories, completed four novels (humour, thriller, SF), started, abandoned and re-started several others and even attempted some bad poetry.

His debut novel A Clear Solution, a comic crime caper, was published last year by Accent Press.

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